270 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. I02 



Marinduque, which lies 40 leagues from Manila; El Embocadero, 

 130; Isla de Negros, 60; Mariveles, 7; Calamianes, 60. He makes 

 many other appointments also to positions both on land and at sea, 

 and also names many military captains and ofificers, as is usual in 

 New Spain. 



Chapter II 



Of the Famous City of Manila, Capital and Court City of the 

 Philippine Islands, and of Its Foundation, 



773. Considering that the country was excellent and prolific; that 

 the island was fertile and abundantly provided with many kinds of 

 supplies, and thickly settled, with large native communities ; that it 

 could develop communications and trade with the Spice Islands, 

 Great China and adjoining islands, both for their native products 

 and for valuables like silk ; Gen. Miguel Lopez de Legaspi searched 

 for a suitable location with a good harbor. Having found it at Cavite, 

 which is the leading one in the Philippines, he established the city 

 of Manila at the water's edge, on the banks of a large river named 

 Pasig which bathes its walls and likewise irrigates and fertilizes its 

 fields and meadows. The city contains 1,000 Spanish residents, and 

 occupies an area suitable for a large and thickly settled city. The 

 houses are all well constructed, built of stone, very luxurious and 

 imposing. The city is completely surrounded by a good strong wall. 

 It is the seat of a Circuit Court, with Judges, Attorney, and Presi- 

 dent, who is Governor and Captain General of all those islands ; he 

 makes appointments in them of Corregidores, Captains and other 

 officials in both the civil and military establishments. 



774. The Mother Church of this city is Metropolitan, with large 

 and sumptuous buildings. It has an Archbishop and Prebendaries 

 who are in residence and conduct services. There are famous Do- 

 minican and Franciscan convents with many friars. The Augustinian 

 convent, both in respect of its cloisters and dormitories and of its 

 famous church, can vie with the best in Spain and the Indies. There 

 is another Augustinian convent in this city, belonging to the Recollect 

 Friars. The Company of Jesus have an excellent house and a very 

 rich and elaborately decorated church. There is a very good nunnery 

 with many nuns, which is called Santa Potenciana ; a hospital, in 

 which they care for the indigent sick ; and other churches and pil- 

 grimage shrines. In the outer wards reside many natives, who are 

 quite essential for the service needs of the city. 



775. And on the other side of the Rio Pasig there is another Triana 

 (suburb) which is a fine, large settlement of over 3,000 residents, 



